[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 36, Number 37 (Monday, September 18, 2000)]
[Pages 2047-2049]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks on Returning From New York and an Exchange With Reporters

September 12, 2000

Legislative Agenda for Education

    The President. Good morning, everyone. I'm looking forward to a 
meeting this afternoon with congressional leadership, that will be an 
important part of our ongoing efforts to resolve the budget differences 
that we still have in these last few weeks, on the basis of good policy, 
not politics or partisanship.
     Perhaps the most important issue is education, where politics 
always should stop at the schoolhouse door. We've worked very hard for 
7\1/2\ years now for higher standards, more accountability, reforms that 
work, and greater investment. The results are coming in, and it's clear 
that this strategy is working, thanks to the efforts of our educators, 
students, and parents.
     Today I'm releasing a report showing that American students in 
schools are making steady gains in almost every category. I urge 
Congress to invest more in the priorities that work well for our 
students, in smaller classes, good teachers, modern schools, more after-
school programs and preschool programs, and accountability for results. 
The Vice President is also talking about this important issue today in 
Ohio.
     In 1996 only 14 States had statewide academic standards. Today, 
with strong Federal incentives, 49 States have them. The results are 
measurable. Reading and math scores are up across the country. The 
number of African-American students taking advanced placement courses 
has nearly tripled, and for Hispanics the number has jumped 500 percent.
     Over 90 percent of our schools are now hooked up to the Internet. 
Overall, SAT math scores are the highest since they've been since 1969, 
the year Neil Armstrong landed on the Moon. And thanks in part to the 
HOPE scholarships, bigger Pell grants, and more affordable student 
loans, more students are going on to college than at any time since the 
GI bill.
     We've also been working hard to help more low-income students go to 
college, expanding the TRIO program, and pushing our new GEAR UP 
initiative. GEAR UP is a partnership with low-income kids that says if 
you'll aim high and aspire to college, we'll help you get there with 
counseling, mentoring, tutoring, and financial aid. It sends a message 
that with hope, hard work, and high hopes--high expectations, you can go 
as far as your abilities will take you.
     Today I'm releasing $46 million in GEAR UP grants to create even 
more college opportunities. With existing funding, these grants will now 
enable more than 700,000 of our students to study hard, graduate, and 
get ahead. But we need to do more. For every student participating in 
GEAR UP, many more were turned away.
     In fact, just a few days ago, I received a letter, signed by more 
than 100 college presidents, underscoring the need for more GEAR UP 
funding. That's why I'm asking Congress to increase next year's support 
to $325 million, which would give another 600,000 students the chance to 
succeed.
    Making sure these students get the attention and instruction they 
need is even more vital in the early grades. That's why we're working so 
hard to reduce class size by putting 100,000 good, new, well-trained 
teachers into our classrooms. Over the past 2 years, we've helped our 
schools to hire nearly 30,000 of these teachers, and this year we're 
asking Congress for the funding to make that 46,000.
    And we can't act fast enough. This fall, our schools are overflowing 
with a record 53 million students. Around the country, school districts 
are struggling hard to find good teachers. They shouldn't have to 
shoulder this burden alone. That's why we've requested a billion dollars 
for recruitment and training to help to put a qualified teacher in every 
classroom.
    We also need to ensure that the classrooms themselves make the 
grade. The average American public school was built 42 years ago. Time 
has taken its toll. Congress should act quickly to help districts 
modernize old schools and build new ones. It's high time we got our 
children out of trailers and into 21st century classrooms. As you know, 
our initiative would help to build or dramatically overhaul 6,000 
schools and to repair another 5,000 a year over the next 5 years.

[[Page 2048]]

    Yesterday the Urban Institute reported that at least 4 million 
American children between the ages of 6 and 12 are latchkey kids, 
fending for themselves every day after school, until a parent gets home 
from work. Experts tell us this is precisely the time of day when young 
people without adult supervision get into the most trouble. That's why 
after-school programs are so important.
     We had the beginnings of our after-school program with a $1 million 
demonstration program back in 1997. Now, it's a critical program 
providing a safe learning environment and extra academic support in the 
after after-school hours to students all across the country. Last year 
the 21st Century Community Learning Centers provided after-school and 
summer school opportunities to 850,000 of our students across the 
country.
     This year our budget would more than double that program to a 
billion dollars. If we more than double the 850,000, that will make a 
significant dent in the number of those kids who are latchkey kids.
     These are just some of the education priorities that we need to 
address this fall. There are a number of others included in our budget. 
I hope they'll be in the final agreement. But we need to do this, again 
I say, based on good policy. We need to do right by our children, make 
smart choices, and give them and our Nation a better future.
     Thank you very much.

Firestone Recall

    Q. Mr. President, do you think that the Government dropped the ball 
in detecting the Firestone tire problem and was aggressive enough in 
ordering a recall?
    The President. Terry [Terence Hunt, Associated Press], I honestly 
don't know. I have been following the congressional hearings, and as you 
know, I've been otherwise occupied for the last several days. So before 
I can give you an informed opinion, I need to be fully briefed, and I 
haven't been.

United Kingdom Petroleum Protests/OPEC Production

    Q. Mr. President, do you have any reaction on the situation in 
Britain, where they're protesting they don't have enough oil? Even 
though OPEC has promised to increase output, there are still problems.
    The President. Well, all I know about it is what I read this morning 
in the press. And I couldn't tell, frankly, whether the protest was over 
high prices, where 76 percent of the price is in fuel taxes--their 
gasoline prices, I think, are about more than 2\1/2\ times what ours 
are--or whether they're worried about short supplies.
     But I don't think blocking the weight of the refineries is a way to 
deal with the short supply issue. I'm just not sure I know enough about 
the facts there.
    I think what we need to be concerned about is what we're doing here. 
We're working very hard to make sure our home heating oil reserve is 
filled for the Northeast by the end of October. And I think we'll get 
there. The Secretary of Energy has let the contracts, and we're watching 
very closely what the market will do on prices, as a result of the 
recent OPEC initiative. And we're also examining what other options we 
might have in the event we have a tough winter.
    So I think we need to look at that, and we need to make sure we do 
everything we can to get through this winter. The fundamental challenge 
here is that the economies are now strong in Europe and the United 
States; they're picking up in Asia. So oil price consumption is going 
up, and it has been above oil price production.
    Oil price production can get above consumption again, and we can 
replace some of our depleted inventories, which are quite low in the 
United States, and I hope that will happen. But I also hope that the 
American people and the Congress will look at the long-term 
implications. I believe we can get through this winter, and we can get 
through another couple of years, by continuing to push production above 
consumption.
     But it's clear, if you look at the United States and North America, 
where the population is just a little over--well, our population, 
combined with Canada's, is about 80 percent of Europe's, and our fuel, 
our oil usage is about 50 percent more than theirs. So I think that we 
have lots of low hanging fruit here for energy conservation that will 
create jobs, increase incomes, and reduce our vulnerability to the tight 
oil markets.

[[Page 2049]]

     I have, for the last several years, asked the Congress to adopt 
some vigorous tax incentives to encourage both businesses and 
individuals to buy energy conservation supplies and appliances. I hope 
that Congress will consider them this year, favorably, and I hope that 
we will also increase our investments in high mileage vehicles and 
alternative fuels. We're on the verge of some very, very promising 
discoveries, and now is not the time to weaken our commitment to the 
partnership for the next generation vehicles that the Vice President has 
supported so strongly, and to developing these other alternative sources 
of fuels and other means of getting high mileage vehicles.
     We've got to deal with the long term and the short term and 
recognize that, at least over the long term, we're going to have to have 
a combination of alternative energy sources and greater conservation. 
And it can be a great job boon to our country, and it can save money for 
ordinary Americans if we do it right. So I'm hoping we'll have a short-
term and a long-term resolution.
    Thank you very much.

Note: The President spoke at 9:20 a.m. on the South Lawn at the White 
House.